Adaptive antenna arrangements for cellular communication system

Abstract

A solution for controlling active antenna modules in a cellular communication system. According to an aspect, a method includes causing, at a first time interval, a first antenna module and a second antenna module to respectively provide overlapping coverage areas inside a service area of an access node of a cellular communication system, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are antenna modules of the access node and each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module provides respective coverage in the service area within the overlapping coverage area, the respective coverages being independent of one another; and causing, at a second time interval, the first antenna module and the second antenna module to respectively provide non-overlapping coverage areas.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising at least one controller for controlling radio signal directivity of a first antenna module and a second antenna module of a single service area of a cellular communication system, wherein the at least one controller is configured to:
 acquire input parameters comprising a location of a terminal device and capability of the terminal device for communicating with the first and second antenna modules of the single service area; 
 upon the terminal device establishing a connection, receive, from the terminal device, a specified reliability requirement relative to a determined threshold, wherein the specified reliability requirement corresponds to at least one of latency, packet loss rate, and outage probability; 
 cause, at a first time interval, the first antenna module and the second antenna module to respectively provide overlapping coverage areas where the terminal device is located to satisfy the specified reliability requirement inside the single service area of an access node of the cellular communication system, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are antenna modules of the access node and each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module provides respective coverage in the single service area within the overlapping coverage area, said respective coverages being independent of one another and not different sectors generated by a single sectorized antenna; and 
 upon the terminal device terminating the connection, cause, at a second time interval, the first antenna module and the second antenna module to respectively provide non-overlapping coverage areas. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first antenna module is located at a different location within the single service area than the second antenna module. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause, at the second time interval, the first antenna module to establish a first cell and the second antenna module to establish a second cell. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause, at the first time interval, the first antenna module to establish a first cell and the second antenna module to establish a second cell. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module to serve multiple terminal devices within its respective coverage area. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the first and second antenna modules based on measurement data received from the at least one terminal device comprising at least one of a signal strength and a signal quality measured from a signal received by the at least one terminal device from one or more of the first and second antenna modules. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the first antenna module to cover substantially the whole single service area, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the second antenna module to direct a radio beam to the single service area during the first time interval and to direct the radio beam away from the single service area during the second time interval. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further configured to select a multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, configuration for each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module separately for the first time interval and for the second time interval amongst multiple MIMO configurations supported by said each of the first antenna module and a second antenna module, wherein a MIMO configuration is defined in terms of a number of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the second antenna module to provide connectivity within the overlapping coverage area during the first time interval in case the first antenna module malfunctions. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to change boundaries of the single service area of the access node by switching control of at least one of the first antenna module and the second antenna module from the access node to another access node, or by switching control of a further antenna module from said another access node to the access node. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further configured to measure a signal received from at least one of the first antenna module and the second antenna module during at least one of the first time interval and the second time interval and to report corresponding measurement data to the access node. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller comprises:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the performance of the apparatus. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control directivity of at least one of the first antenna module and the second antenna module to follow movement of the terminal device. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus configured to:
 establish a connection; 
 transmit a specified reliability requirement relative to a determined threshold, wherein the specified reliability requirement corresponds to at least one of latency, packet loss rate, and outage probability; 
 receive, at a first time interval after establishing the connection, a signal from a first antenna module of an access node of a cellular communication system and a second antenna module of said access node, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module respectively provide an overlapping coverage area where the terminal device is located to satisfy the specified reliability requirement inside a single service area of the access node, and wherein each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module provides respective coverage in the single service area within the overlapping coverage area, said respective coverages being independent from one another and not different sectors generated by a single sectorized antenna; 
 terminate the connection; and 
 receive, at a second time interval after terminating the connection, a signal from only one of the first antenna module and the second antenna module that respectively provide non-overlapping coverage areas with respect to each other. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is a user device or a relay node. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit measurement data to the access node comprising at least one of a signal strength and a signal quality measured from a signal received by the apparatus from one or more of the first and second antenna modules. 
     
     
       17. A method comprising at least one controller for a first antenna module and a second antenna module of a single service area of a cellular communication system:
 acquiring input parameters comprising a location of a terminal device and capability of the terminal device for communicating with the first and second antenna modules of the single service area; 
 upon the terminal device establishing a connection, receiving from the terminal device, a specified reliability requirement relative to a determined threshold, wherein the specified reliability requirement corresponds to at least one of latency, packet loss rate, and outage probability; 
 causing, at a first time interval, the first antenna module and the second antenna module to respectively provide overlapping coverage areas where the terminal device is located to satisfy the specified reliability requirement inside the single service area of an access node of the cellular communication system, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are antenna modules of the access node and each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module provides respective coverage in the single service area within the overlapping coverage area, said respective coverages being independent of one another and not different sectors generated by a single sectorized antenna; and 
 upon the terminal device terminating the connection, causing, at a second time interval, the first antenna module and the second antenna module to respectively provide non-overlapping coverage areas. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising controlling directivity of at least one of the first antenna module and the second antenna module to follow movement of the terminal device. 
     
     
       19. A method comprising a terminal device:
 establishing a connection; 
 transmitting a specified reliability requirement relative to a determined threshold, wherein the specified reliability requirement corresponds to at least one of latency, packet loss rate, and outage probability; 
 receiving, at a first time interval after establishing the connection, a signal from a first antenna module of an access node of a cellular communication system and a second antenna module of said access node, wherein the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit respectively provide an overlapping coverage area where the terminal device is located to satisfy the specified reliability requirement inside a single service area of the access node, and wherein each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module provides respective coverage in the single service area within the overlapping coverage area, said respective coverages being independent from one another and not different sectors generated by a single sectorized antenna; 
 terminating the connection; and 
 receiving, at a second time interval after terminating the connection, a signal from only one of the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit that respectively provide non-overlapping coverage areas with respect to each other. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the terminal device transmitting measurement data comprising at least one of a signal strength and a signal quality measured from a signal received by the terminal device from one or more of the first and second antenna modules.